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Top 5 Amazing Stargazing Events You Don’t Want To Miss In 2023

Enjoy stargazing? You are in for an exciting year baby! Because, 2023, has in store everything in the night sky, from amazing meteor showers to one of Earth's planetary neighbors in opposition. On top of that, there will be supermoons and even a spectacular "Ring of Fire."

Let's hop right into it then. Here are the Top 5 amazing Stargazing events in 2023!

Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks on April 22-23

The Lyrid meteor shower will be visible from April 16-25 but its peak will begin at about 10:30 p.m. local time on April 22, according to Space.com. During that peak, you can expect to see about 18 meteors per hour, streaking along at speeds of 29 miles per second, according to NASA. The best catch is the fast and bright meteors often leave glowing dust trails behind which is visible for several seconds. A magical experience indeed!

Meteors

Named after the constellation Lyra, it was discovered on April 5, 1861. The speeding meteors appear to emanate, the Lyrid meteor shower occurs each year in April when Earth passes through the debris trail of a comet called C/1861 G1 Thatcher. This comet takes 415 years on Earth to orbit the sun.

Full Moon, Supermoon on July 3

The moon's orbit around Earth is not circular, it's elliptical. Although the distance between the Moon and Earth varies throughout the month and even the year, the average distance is approximately 238,855 miles, according to NASA.

Supermoon

As the Moon has an elliptical orbit, there are times when it is closer to Earth than others. The point in the Moon's orbit when it is closest to Earth is called the perigee. When the Moon is full at that point, it's called a supermoon as it appears 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than other full moons. In fact, there is no official definition for how close the Moon must be to Earth to be considered a supermoon, but most sources use around 225,000 miles as the benchmark.

On July 3, the Moon will be full at 7:39 a.m. Eastern Time, according to the Farmers' Almanac.

Since the Moon will be 226,209 miles from Earth at that moment, it will also be a supermoon, according to Full Moon Phase.

A Second Full Moon, Supermoon on August 1st

Curiously, the next full moon will also be a supermoon. The ever beautiful Moon, which becomes full at 2:32 p.m. Eastern Time on August 1 this year, has been called the Sturgeon Moon by fishing tribes because the large fish are easiest caught in August, the Farmers' Almanac explains.

Fullmoon

This full moon will be even closer to Earth this month. On August 1, the Moon will be 223,455 miles from Earth, Full Moon Phase explains. Do not miss this one though, we don't want moon to be mad at us. it won't end well for us.

Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks on August 12-13

This year's Perseid Meteor shower runs from July 14-September 1. It peaks this year on August 12 and early into the next morning when summer nights are warm and perfect for stargazing. What a cozy feeling these meteor showers bring. The Perseids are named after the constellation Perseus the hero.

Meteors

In rural locations where there no light traffic, you can expect to see between 50 and 75 meteors per hour, the American Meteor Society explains. Many will leave behind long "wakes" of light and color as they speed through Earth's atmosphere. The Perseid meteor shower, which NASA terms as the "best meteor shower of the year," occurs each August when Earth passes through debris left by a comet named 109P/Swift-Tuttle. It was discovered in 1862 independently by both Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle. It takes 133 years for the Swift-Tuttle comet to orbit the Sun.

Saturn At Opposition on August 27

Saturn is that favorite child of the parents. With its most unique choices and looks. This year has put Saturn on spotlight. When a planet is in opposition, our Earth is directly between that planet and the sun, hence the planet will be its closest and brightest of the year.

Saturn

On August 27, Saturn will not only be brighter than any other time of the year, it will be visible all night. It will also reach its highest point in the sky around midnight local time, according to In-the-Sky. This is best time in 2023 to see Saturn, the second-largest planet in our solar system. If skies are clear, you use a medium-power telescope, you can see Saturn, its rings, and even some of its largest moons, such as Titan. Interestingly, Titan is larger than Earth's moon and is also larger than the planet Mercury, NASA explains.

Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower Peaks on May 5-6

Occuring between April 15 and May 27. The best viewing, however, will be during the shower's peak late on May 5 and early on May 6, Space.com explains. The meteors will be traveling at speeds of about 41 miles per second, according to the American Meteor Society. During the shower's peak, you can expect to see between 10 and 30 meteors per hour.

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower occurs each year when Earth passes through the space debris left behind by Comet Halley. The iconic comet Halley takes about 76 years to orbit the sun. The shower is named after Eta Aquarii, the brightest star in the constellation of Aquarius, where the meteors appear to come from.

Full Moon, Supermoon, Blue Moon on August 30

Pretty unusual for two full moons to occur in a month with 30 or 31 days. (There are roughly 29.5 days between each full moon). when this rare event happens, it is called as the "blue moon". the moon will not appear to be blue but the impossible things are termed with blue anyway.

What is even more interesting is that this full moon is also another supermoon and this time it will be even closer to Earth. On August 30, the Moon will be 223,338 miles from Earth, Full Moon Phase explains.

Annular Solar Eclipse on October 14

On October 14, 2023, an annular, Latin for "ring-shaped" solar eclipse will create legendary "Ring of Fire" effect. This event will be visible across a roughly 125-mile-wide path that stretches from Oregon to Texas, and then into Mexico, Central America, and South America, according to NASA.

supermoon

During the annular solar eclipse, the Moon will only cover about 90 percent of the Sun, according to the American Astronomical Society. The other 10 percent of the Sun will be visible as a "Ring of Fire."

Leonid Meteor Shower Peaks on November 17

The Leonid meteor shower is famous for its fast meteors, which speed through Earth's atmosphere at 44 miles per second. This meteor shower is active from November 3-December 2, it will peak on November 17 and early into November 18. You can expect to see about 15 meteors per hour.

supermoon

Fun Fact: The Leonid meteor shower is known for "fireballs and Earth-grazers," according to NASA. Fireballs are large "explosions of light and color" that are visible for longer than an average meteor. Earth-grazers, which have colorful tails, get their name because they streak low along the horizon.

Leonid meteor shower every year over Earth passes through debris left behind by the periodic comet Tempel-Tuttle, officially known as 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. The comet takes over 33 years to orbit the Sun.

Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks on December 13-14

The Geminid meteor shower occurs between November 19 and December 24, and it will peak on December 13 and early into December 14, Space.com explains. You can see up to 120 meteors per hour, traveling at speeds of 22 miles per second, NASA says.

We usually see meteor showers when Earth passes through debris left in space by a comet, but that is not the case with the Geminid meteor shower. Instead, we see the meteors each year in December when Earth passes through the meteoroids left by an asteroid named 3200 Phaethon.

The asteroid, which measures 3.2 miles in diameter, takes 1.4 years to orbit the sun. This meteor shower gets its name as its meteors appear to emanate near the Gemini constellation.

    Read more about: supermoon
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